Sigarda's Savagery Can Easily Be Increased: An FNM Tournament Report - Kendall Halman (10/13/2012)

Earlier this summer, three or four of us at my local shop, Packrat Comics in Columbus, decided we would troll everyone and play various versions of Turbo-Fog

Fog
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Jesper Myrfors Text: Creatures attack and block as normal, but none deal any damage or otherwise affect any creature as a result of an attack or block. All attacking creatures are still tapped. Play any time before attack damage is dealt.

for FNM.  In case you are unfamiliar with this deck, its goal is to play various "Fog

Fog
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Jesper Myrfors Text: Creatures attack and block as normal, but none deal any damage or otherwise affect any creature as a result of an attack or block. All attacking creatures are still tapped. Play any time before attack damage is dealt.

" effects until it eventually forces the opponent to draw his or her entire deck.  It speeds up this process by playing Rites of Flourishing

Rites of Flourishing
	Set: Future Sight Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 137 Artist: Brandon Kitkouski Text: At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws a card. Each player may play an additional land on each of his or her turns.

or another "Howling Mine

Howling Mine
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 2 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Artist: Mark Poole Text: Each player must draw one extra card during the draw phase of each of his or her turns.

" equivalent.  I guess it was tier one a hundred years ago at one point or something?  Anyway, it was a fun night, and because my version had a slightly more aggressive mill theme, I actually had a slight edge in the mirror.

After playing Esper Midrange Solar Flare

Flare
	Set: Fifth Edition Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Andrew Robinson Text: Flare deals 1 damage to target creature or player.Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn.

Tapout Control for a few weeks with limited success, and seeing the release of Sands of Delirium

Delirium
	Set: Mirage Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Artist: Terese Nielsen Text: Play only on target opponent's turn.Tap target creature that player controls. That creature deals to the player an amount of damage equal to its power. The creature neither deals nor receives combat damage this turn.

 and Safe Passage

Safe Passage
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: White Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 28 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn.

in M13, I thought it might be time to give the Turbo-Fog

Fog
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Jesper Myrfors Text: Creatures attack and block as normal, but none deal any damage or otherwise affect any creature as a result of an attack or block. All attacking creatures are still tapped. Play any time before attack damage is dealt.

deck another try.  Augur of Bolas

Augur of Bolas
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Merfolk Wizard Rarity: U Number: 43 Artist: Slawomir Maniak Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: When Augur of Bolas enters the battlefield, look at the top three cards of your library. You may reveal an instant or sorcery card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

could even serve as Snap

Snap
	Set: Urza's Legacy Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 43 Artist: Mike Raabe Text: Return target creature to owner's hand. Untap up to two lands.

casters 5-8!  I built a watered down version on MODO and, like many of the watered down decks I play, once I picked up 2 Jace, Memory Adept

Jace, Memory Adept
	Set: Magic 2012 Cost: 5 Color: Blue Type: Planeswalker Sub Type: Jace Rarity: M Number: 58 Artist: D. Alexander Gregory Text: +1: Draw a card. Target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. 0: Target player puts the top ten cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. -7: Any number of target players each draw twenty cards.

s, I realized the deck just did not have what it needed to win. I'd still like to play the deck at some point before rotation, but I was sort of at a dead end and decided to go a completely different direction for Friday.

Thursday morning rolled around and I still had no idea what to play.  Then, I realized that I own a few swords and rarely end up actually playing them.  This is at least partially because I favor Runechanter's Pike

Runechanter's Pike
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Sub Type: Equipment Rarity: R Number: 231 Artist: John Avon Text: Equipped creature has first strike and gets +X/+0, where X is the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard. Equip {2}

when I play Delver and typically play some sort of control deck with giant creatures the rest of the time.  Anyway, I realized that the swords are rotating, and I should probably try to win some packs with them beforehand.  I didn't have the four Bonfire of the Damned

Bonfire of the Damned
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: M Number: 129 Artist: James Paick Text: Bonfire of the Damned deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls. Miracle {X}{R} (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)

, so a traditional Red/Green Aggro or Naya

Naya
	Set: Planechase Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Plane Sub Type: Alara Rarity: C Number: 27 Artist: Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai Text: You may play any number of additional lands on each of your turns. Whenever you roll {C}, target red, green, or white creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each land you control.

Pod deck was sort of out of the question.  I did, however, have most of the cards and mana base for a Bant

Bant

Set: Planechase Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Plane Sub Type: Alara Rarity: C Number: 4 Artist: Michael Komarck Text: All creatures have exalted. (Whenever a creature attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents its controller controls.) Whenever you roll {C}, put a divinity counter on target green, white, or blue creature. That creature is indestructible as long as it has a divinity counter on it.

(Blue, White, and Green) deck.

I remembered hearing about Smi77y's Hex

Hex
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Black Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 89 Artist: Michael Sutfin Text: Destroy six target creatures.

blade deck a few months back.  This was a Bant

Bant

Set: Planechase Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Plane Sub Type: Alara Rarity: C Number: 4 Artist: Michael Komarck Text: All creatures have exalted. (Whenever a creature attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents its controller controls.) Whenever you roll {C}, put a divinity counter on target green, white, or blue creature. That creature is indestructible as long as it has a divinity counter on it.

deck that used Hex

Hex
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Black Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 89 Artist: Michael Sutfin Text: Destroy six target creatures.

proof creatures and pumped them up with swords and one of my favorite cards, Increasing Savagery

Increasing Savagery
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 120 Artist: Steve Prescott Text: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature. If Increasing Savagery was cast from a graveyard, put ten +1/+1 counters on that creature instead. Flashback {5}{G}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

.  Of course, like most good decks, Smi77y's deck required a playset of a money card that I didn't own.  I couldn't think of a good replacement for Geist of Saint Traft

Geist of Saint Traft

Set: Innistrad Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Legendary Creature Sub Type: Spirit Cleric Rarity: M Number: 213 Artist: Igor Kieryluk Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Whenever Geist of Saint Traft attacks, put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Exile that token at end of combat.

, but figured that if I could get my hands on one or two and maybe threw in an Aether Adept

Aether Adept
	Set: Magic 2011 Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Wizard Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: When Æther Adept enters the battlefield, return target creature to its owner's hand.

, I could justify running the Blue for 4 Invisible Stalker

Invisible Stalker
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Rogue Rarity: U Number: 60 Artist: Bud Cook Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Invisible Stalker is unblockable.

s.  After work, I decided to venture out to the local shops with decent selections of singles.

First, I headed up to Comic Town.  This store is probably the best place to buy singles locally in Columbus.  For some reason, they attract a few too many competitive players to their events and charge too much for the payout for me to be interested in playing there.  However, their singles are fairly priced for a local shop.  Alas, they did not have a Geist of Saint Traft

Geist of Saint Traft

Set: Innistrad Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Legendary Creature Sub Type: Spirit Cleric Rarity: M Number: 213 Artist: Igor Kieryluk Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Whenever Geist of Saint Traft attacks, put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Exile that token at end of combat.

.  There is another store nearby that has a decent selection of singles, but they charge way too much most of the time.  Instead, I decided to drive way the heck to the east side of town to visit Dan's Clubhouse.  I realize that the money I spent on gas probably would make up the difference, but it's the principle of the thing!

I'd not been to Dan's in forever and promptly got lost on the way.  Once I finally found the place, they didn't open for another half hour.  I went and found food (cutting into my Magic budget for Arby's) and returned a little after 1 pm, when the store opened.  After searching through their somewhat disorganized selection of singles and having a rather long conversation about Dungeons and Dragons, I gave up on finding the Geist, but spotted that they had the Repeat Performance event deck for $20.  I promptly picked it up.

When I got home, I busted the deck open and decided to take my FNM deck in another direction.  I eliminated Blue in favor of Blade Splicer

Blade Splicer
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Artificer Rarity: R Number: 4 Artist: Greg Staples Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: When Blade Splicer enters the battlefield, put a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token onto the battlefield. Golem creatures you control have first strike.

and Restoration Angel

Restoration Angel
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 32 Artist: Johannes Voss Power: 3 Toughness: 4 Text: Flash Flying When Restoration Angel enters the battlefield, you may exile target non-Angel creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.

.  I also added Sigarda, Host of Herons

Sigarda, Host of Herons
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Legendary Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: M Number: 210 Artist: Chris Rahn Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying, hexproof Spells and abilities your opponents control can't cause you to sacrifice permanents.

, a creature that I'm surprised did not make an appearance in Smi77y's deck.  After adding a weird trans-formative sideboard with Birthing Pod

Birthing Pod

Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 8 Color: Green Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 104 Artist: Daarken Text: ({(g/p)} can be paid with either {G} or 2 life.) {1}{(g/p)}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to 1 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

s, I ended up with this list:


Creatures:
4 Birds of Paradise

Birds of Paradise
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Mana Birds Rarity: R Artist: Mark Poole Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: Flying T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. This ability is played as an interrupt.

4 Avacyn's Pilgrim

Avacyn's Pilgrim
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Monk Rarity: C Number: 170 Artist: Jana Schirmer & Johannes Voss Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: {T}: Add {W} to your mana pool.

3 Blade Splicer

Blade Splicer
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Artificer Rarity: R Number: 4 Artist: Greg Staples Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: When Blade Splicer enters the battlefield, put a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token onto the battlefield. Golem creatures you control have first strike.

3 Restoration Angel

Restoration Angel
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 32 Artist: Johannes Voss Power: 3 Toughness: 4 Text: Flash Flying When Restoration Angel enters the battlefield, you may exile target non-Angel creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.

2 Elvish Visionary

Elvish Visionary
	Set: Shards Of Alara Cost: 2 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Elf Shaman Rarity: C Number: 130 Artist: D. Alexander Gregory Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: When Elvish Visionary comes into play, draw a card.

2 Borderland Ranger

Borderland Ranger
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Scout Rarity: C Number: 169 Artist: Jesper Ejsing Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: When Borderland Ranger enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library.

1 Ulvenwald Tracker

Ulvenwald Tracker
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Shaman Rarity: R Number: 200 Artist: Christopher Moeller Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: {1}{G}, {T}: Target creature you control fights another target creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

1 Wolfir Silverheart

Wolfir Silverheart

Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Wolf Warrior Rarity: R Number: 206 Artist: Raymond Swanland Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: Soulbond (You may pair this creature with another unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control both of them.) As long as Wolfir Silverheart is paired with another creature, each of those creatures gets +4/+4.

1 Acidic Slime

Acidic Slime
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Ooze Rarity: U Number: 165 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Deathtouch (Creatures dealt damage by this creature are destroyed. You can divide this creature's combat damage among any of the creatures blocking or blocked by it.) When Acidic Slime enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact, enchantment, or land.

1 Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

2 Sigarda, Host of Herons

Sigarda, Host of Herons
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Legendary Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: M Number: 210 Artist: Chris Rahn Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying, hexproof Spells and abilities your opponents control can't cause you to sacrifice permanents.

Other stuff
2 Sword of Feast and Famine

Sword of Feast and Famine
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Sub Type: Equipment Rarity: M Number: 138 Artist: Chris Rahn Text: Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from black and from green. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card and you untap all lands you control. Equip {2}

1 Sword of War and Peace

Sword of War and Peace

Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Sub Type: Equipment Rarity: M Number: 161 Artist: Chris Rahn Text: Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from red and from white. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, Sword of War and Peace deals damage to that player equal to the number of cards in his or her hand and you gain 1 life for each card in your hand. Equip {2}

4 Rancor

Rancor
	Set: Urza's Legacy Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Enchant Creature Rarity: C Number: 110 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Enchanted creature gains +2/+0 and trample.When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play, return Rancor to owner's hand.

4 Green Sun's Zenith

Green Sun's Zenith
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 81 Artist: David Rapoza Text: Search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Shuffle Green Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.

2 Increasing Savagery

Increasing Savagery
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 120 Artist: Steve Prescott Text: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature. If Increasing Savagery was cast from a graveyard, put ten +1/+1 counters on that creature instead. Flashback {5}{G}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

23 lands

Sideboard
1 Sun Titan

Sun Titan
	Set: Magic 2011 Cost: 6 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Giant Rarity: M Number: 35 Artist: Todd Lockwood Power: 6 Toughness: 6 Text: Vigilance Whenever Sun Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return target permanent card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 7 Color: White Type: Legendary Creature Sub Type: Praetor Rarity: M Number: 9 Artist: Igor Kieryluk Power: 4 Toughness: 7 Text: Vigilance Other creatures you control get +2/+2. Creatures your opponents control get -2/-2.

2 Mirran Crusader

Mirran Crusader
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Knight Rarity: R Number: 14 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Double strike, protection from black and from green

1 Sunblast Angel

Sunblast Angel
	Set: Scars of Mirrodin Cost: 6 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 22 Artist: Jason Chan Power: 4 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying When Sunblast Angel enters the battlefield, destroy all tapped creatures.

3 Birthing Pod

Birthing Pod

Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 8 Color: Green Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 104 Artist: Daarken Text: ({(g/p)} can be paid with either {G} or 2 life.) {1}{(g/p)}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to 1 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

1 Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Greg Staples Text: When Solemn Simulacrum comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. When Solemn Simulacrum is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

3 Celestial Purge

Celestial Purge
	Set: Conflux Cost: 2 Color: White Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 5 Text: Remove target black or red permanent from the game.

2 Oblivion Ring

Oblivion Ring
	Set: Lorwyn Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 34 Artist: Wayne England Text: When Oblivion Ring comes into play, remove another target nonland permanent from the game. When Oblivion Ring leaves play, return the removed card to play under its owner's control.

Here's a quick rundown as to how well the deck did.


Round 1 Versus Zach White's Budget Delver:

Zach's one of those guys that I'm always pulling for.  We get paired up fairly often, and he seems to really understand the fundamentals of how to play the game.  Unfortunately, like many new FNM players, he just doesn't have the cards or the budget to win.  Also, he tends to have bad luck against me.  Our match got started a few minutes late, because he was outside smoking when it started, but I wasn't concerned.  I beat him game one by using Green Sun's Zenith

Green Sun's Zenith
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 81 Artist: David Rapoza Text: Search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Shuffle Green Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.

to get a Sigarda and casting Increasing Savagery

Increasing Savagery
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 120 Artist: Steve Prescott Text: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature. If Increasing Savagery was cast from a graveyard, put ten +1/+1 counters on that creature instead. Flashback {5}{G}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

on it.  Game two, he got mana screwed and I managed to blow up his one land with my Acidic Slime

Acidic Slime
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Ooze Rarity: U Number: 165 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Deathtouch (Creatures dealt damage by this creature are destroyed. You can divide this creature's combat damage among any of the creatures blocking or blocked by it.) When Acidic Slime enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact, enchantment, or land.

.


Round 2 Versus Mitchell's Zombies

Mitchell is a new player.  I think he played a while back, but he dove into it full force after the Avacyn Restored release and even went 3-2 in the first five rounds of the TCG Player Diamond event in Columbus the previous week.  My deck was really built for this matchup.  Sigarda in the main deck, partnered with the Celestial Purge

Celestial Purge
	Set: Conflux Cost: 2 Color: White Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 5 Text: Remove target black or red permanent from the game.

s and Mirran Crusader

Mirran Crusader
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Knight Rarity: R Number: 14 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Double strike, protection from black and from green

s out of the board, just did a lot of work.  I'm pretty sure I won off of an Increasing Savagery

Increasing Savagery
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 120 Artist: Steve Prescott Text: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature. If Increasing Savagery was cast from a graveyard, put ten +1/+1 counters on that creature instead. Flashback {5}{G}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

here as well.


Round 3 Versus Seth's Mono Red

Seth started around the same time Zach did with Dark Ascension and, while I still question his card evaluation, has certainly gotten much better recently.  I have little memory of this match.  I know that he had me scared with a Slumbering Dragon

Slumbering Dragon
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: R Number: 148 Artist: Chris Rahn Power: 3 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Slumbering Dragon can't attack or block unless it has five or more +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, put a +1/+1 counter on Slumbering Dragon.

until I eventually drew an answer to it.  That must have been game 2, because I want to say it was an Oblivion Ring

Oblivion Ring
	Set: Lorwyn Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 34 Artist: Wayne England Text: When Oblivion Ring comes into play, remove another target nonland permanent from the game. When Oblivion Ring leaves play, return the removed card to play under its owner's control.

.  As scary as that card is, it still can be removed before it really does anything to affect the board.  I want to say game 1 was the other time I Acidic Slime

Acidic Slime
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Ooze Rarity: U Number: 165 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Deathtouch (Creatures dealt damage by this creature are destroyed. You can divide this creature's combat damage among any of the creatures blocking or blocked by it.) When Acidic Slime enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact, enchantment, or land.

d someone's only land.


Round 4 Versus Tim's Mono Green

Going into this round, I was feeling unstoppable.  Admittedly, my first three opponents were not the best players in the room, and I certainly got fairly lucky, but I just had a feeling that I was going to win it all either way.  Then I lost game 1.  He got his Rancor

Rancor
	Set: Urza's Legacy Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Enchant Creature Rarity: C Number: 110 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Enchanted creature gains +2/+0 and trample.When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play, return Rancor to owner's hand.

s out faster than me.  This match was the only time all night that I sided in the Birthing Pod

Birthing Pod

Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 8 Color: Green Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 104 Artist: Daarken Text: ({(g/p)} can be paid with either {G} or 2 life.) {1}{(g/p)}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to 1 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

s.  I was able to pod into a Mirran Crusader

Mirran Crusader
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Knight Rarity: R Number: 14 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Double strike, protection from black and from green

game 2 and killed his Dungrove Elder

Dungrove Elder
	Set: Magic 2012 Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Treefolk Rarity: R Number: 171 Artist: Matt Stewart Power: * Toughness: * Text: Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Dungrove Elder's power and toughness are each equal to the number of Forests you control.

at least partially due to some confusion on his part about double strike.  Game three, I drew more Rancor

Rancor
	Set: Urza's Legacy Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Enchant Creature Rarity: C Number: 110 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Enchanted creature gains +2/+0 and trample.When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play, return Rancor to owner's hand.

s than him and won.


Round 5 Versus Cody's Tempered Steel

Tempered Steel
	Set: Scars of Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 24 Artist: Wayne Reynolds Text: Artifact creatures you control get +2/+2.

Going into Round 5, I was the only undefeated player, but I had Cody pegged as the wild-card for the night.  It was his first time at Packrat and he just kept winning.  I took him down in game 1.  Then, in game 2, I attacked when I shouldn't have and he was able to get through with his three Etched Champion

Etched Champion
	Set: Scars of Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Sub Type: Soldier Rarity: R Number: 154 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Metalcraft — Etched Champion has protection from all colors as long as you control three or more artifacts.

s and a Signal Pest

Signal Pest
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 1 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Sub Type: Pest Rarity: U Number: 131 Artist: Mark Zug Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.) Signal Pest can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.

.  I had no answers and scooped.  At this point, he offered me a draw.  I explained to him that we couldn't draw, because he wouldn't end up in second place if we did.  Only later did I realize that he may not have been asking to split.  I could have ID'd into first place.  Luckily, it didn't matter, because I got there game three.


I went home with 13 packs (pulled a Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

and not much else) and an Avacyn's Pilgrim

Avacyn's Pilgrim
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Monk Rarity: C Number: 170 Artist: Jana Schirmer & Johannes Voss Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: {T}: Add {W} to your mana pool.

promo.  Also, I managed to move some bulk cards in trades for a Huntmaster of the Fells

Huntmaster of the Fells

Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Werewolf Rarity: M Number: 140 Artist: Chris Rahn Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Huntmaster of the Fells, put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield and you gain 2 life. At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Huntmaster of the Fells.

, a Snapcaster Mage

Snapcaster Mage

Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Wizard Rarity: R Number: 78 Artist: Volkan Baga Power: 2 Toughness: 1 Text: Flash When Snapcaster Mage enters the battlefield, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

, and an Inkmoth Nexus

Inkmoth Nexus
	Set: Mirrodin Besieged Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 145 Artist: Jung Park Text: {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {1}: Inkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying and infect until end of turn. It's still a land. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)

.  I was definitely super happy with the deck.  It was something different and a lot of fun.  Sigarda and Increasing Savagery

Increasing Savagery
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 120 Artist: Steve Prescott Text: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature. If Increasing Savagery was cast from a graveyard, put ten +1/+1 counters on that creature instead. Flashback {5}{G}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

both just did a ton of work for me.

If you like what you read, send me an e-mail at kitchenfinkspodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @khalman, and keep an eye out at mtgcast.com for new episode of my podcast, Kitchen Finks

Kitchen Finks
	Set: Shadowmoor Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Ouphe Rarity: U Number: 229 Artist: Kev Walker Power: 3 Toughness: 2 Text: When Kitchen Finks comes into play, you gain 2 life. Persist (When this creature is put into a graveyard from play, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to play under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)

!  Thanks!

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